關於孩子

翻譯 Kahlil Gibran 的 On Children
     
你的孩子不是你的.  
他們是生命渴望自身的子女.
他們借助你誕生，但並非來自你,
而且, 雖然他們和你一起，卻不屬於你.
        
你可以給他們你的愛，但不要給他們你的思想.
因為他們有自己的思想.
你可以保護他們的身體，但不能禁錮他們的靈魂,
因為他們的靈魂屬於明天,
你不能拜訪，即使在夢裏也不能.
你可以努力成為他們,
但不要設法讓他們成為你.
因為生命不會倒退，也不會滯留在昨天.
    
你是弓，你的孩子是射向前方的箭.
弓箭手瞄準無限之路上的目標,
祂以聖神的力量彎曲你,
為了祂的箭能射得又快又遠.
你要快樂地在祂的手中彎曲;
因為即便祂深愛那飛出的箭，
也愛穩定的弓.

On Children
      By: Kahlil Gibran

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts, 
For they have their own thoughts.
    
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, 
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them, 
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
      
You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, 
and He bends you with His might 
that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies, 
so He loves also the bow that is stable.